As a young family of four, the Smallwoods moved into the Village in September of 2017 when they took on the Lead Pastoral position at Millbrook Christian Assembly. Their approach to ministry was to first recognize the needs of the community around them and then work toward meeting those needs.

It wasn't long before they began to notice one of the pressing needs in the community of Millbrook was a lack of community playgrounds, particularly ones with a focus on accessibility. In conversations with long-time residents of Millbrook, outside of the church family, this need was confirmed time and time again.

As Millbrook continued to grow with new housing and a new arena, MCA eagerly sought to help meet the need for safe and exciting playground equipment. Understanding some of the challenges that impact children with disabilities, they focused on creating a playground that would be enjoyable for everyone. By incorporating sensory stations with swings, spinners, and hammocks, they aimed to provide an exciting experience for children of all abilities.

We believed that Millbrook Christian Assembly was uniquely positioned in the Village to be home to such a park. On the south side of the church parking lot, there was a large grassy field that Millbrook Christian Assembly hoped to make available for a community accessibility-focused playground.

Being located in the west end of the Village, they saw this as an opportunity to encourage new families moving into town to connect with the older side of Millbrook. One tree initially stood in the way of making this dream possible, but it was naturally uprooted during the winter storm of 2018.

Once it fell across the lawn, it organically became a playground for 15 or more kids on any given afternoon. Recognizing that the fallen tree was not the safest playground, as a church we knew we needed to act swiftly to provide a playground that children could be proud to call their own.